The idea of powerful hydraulic exoskeletons has enjoyed some fresh popularity thanks to the contraptions' presence in recent blockbusters such as Elysium and Edge of Tomorrow.

Inspired by Elysium in particular, YouTube user the Hacksmith has spent months working on an exoskeleton of his own. Now, after 16 videos documenting the process of building and designing it, he has finally successfully tested the ambitious device.

Check out the video below, in which he seems to lift more than 170lb (or 77kgs) without an issue. The exoskeleton here still needs quite a bit of work, but it's an impressive early test that shows a lot of promise: